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Have you ever wondered, "Who invented
the circular thing that keeps the pizza from hitting the inside of the
box top?" Well wonder no longer the package saver for pizza and cakes was
invented by Carmela Vitale of Dix Hills, NY, who filed for US patent
#4,498,586 on February 10, 1983, issued on February 12, 1985. Special thanks
to Howard Olivier, owner of the Flying
Pie Pizzaria in Boise, Idaho, for sending us the right answer.

Patent Abstract:A temperature resistant molded plastic
device is described for use in boxes or packages such as pizza boxes where
there is a tendency of large cover portions to sag downwardly to damage
the soft pizza or other packaged products. In use, the saver is positioned
near the center of the package to support the box cover for protecting
the contents.

Patent Description:Background of the Invention:The present invention relates to
a package saver or device for improving the packaging of soft products
which may be damaged in boxes or cartons with relatively large sagging
covers.

More particularly, the invention
relates to such a package saver which is molded from plastic to have minimal
size, weight, and cost and which is suitable for supporting large carton
covers such as those used for pizza pies. The molded plastic saver is positioned
centrally of the completed pie or other product to support the cover during
storage and delivery.

The package saver is useful in connection
with the delivery of products which require a package, but whose cost necessarily
requires a relatively inexpensive and disposable box or carton. Cartons
of this type, and particularly those used to deliver pizza pies or large
cakes or pies, comprise boxes with relatively large covers formed of inexpensive
board material.

Due to the quality of the board and
their large size, there is a tendency of the covers to sag or to be easily
depressed at their center portions so that they may damage or mark the
pies or cakes during storage or delivery.

Accordingly, an object of the present
invention is to provide an easily manufactured, relatively inexpensive,
lightweight article which is placed on the pie or cake within the package
to
support the central portion of the package cover during delivery.

Another object of the present invention
is to provide an improved means for protecting articles such as pizza and
other pies or cakes from damage during delivery in boxes.

Another object of the present invention
is to provide an inexpensive device for protecting pizza and other pies
or cakes during delivery.

Other and further objects of the
present invention will become apparent upon an understanding of the illustrative
embodiments about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended
claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one
skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

Description of The Prefererred
Embodiment:

In order to provide a lightweight
and inexpensive device for the purpose discussed above, the saver is preferably
molded as a unitary device from one of the plastics which is heat resistant
such as the thermo set plastics and which will resist temperatures of as
high as about 500.degree. F.

In
its preferred form, as illustrated, the saver 1 has spaced vertical legs
2 connected to a cover support 3. The lower portions of the legs 4 have
a minimal cross section to minimize any marking of to the protected article
5 and they are also made thin for minimizing the volume of plastic required.
The cover support 3 of the saver 1 also preferably has a minimum volume
by consisting of a spoke-like arrangement of radially oriented leg supports
6 molded to extend from a central portion 7.

This construction of portion support
3 provides a suitable broad and stable support for box 8 cover 9 which
is of minimal volume and thus has minimal cost. A disposable saver 1 is
provided which may be used in the boxes or cartons without damage to the
packaged pizza pie or other product.

As various changes may be made in
the form, construction and arrangement of the invention and without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention, and without sacrificing any
of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matters herein is to
be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Patent Claims:1. in combination a package having
a flexible cover, a food article packaged therein and spaced downwardly
from the cover, a unitary molded plastic package saving device for positioning
between the cover and the article for supporting the package cover thereby
preventing damage to the packaged food article by the cover, said device
comprising the combination of three or more spaced legs, each leg having
one relatively flat end adapted for engaging the packaged article and having
its opposite end attached to a device cover portion.2. The combination as claimed in
claim 1 in which said device cover portion comprises a number of flat cover
sections radiating from a common flat central portion.3. The combination as claimed in
claim 1 wherein said device is formed of heat resistant plastic.4. The combination as claimed in
claim 1 wherein said device is formed of thermo-setting plastic.

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